


Unrequited

by The Neon Gang (clgfanfic)



Series: Magnificent Seven (TV) - Comfort's Bed [4]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Metafiction, Old West
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 22:09:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1151368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/The%20Neon%20Gang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris' dreams drive him to act...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unrequited

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Seven Card Stud #3 and then in the standalone novel Comfort's Bed.
> 
> This is part of a larger metafiction that includes the Old West and ATF Denver AU worlds. There are dreams within dreams, realities within realities,but it all works out in the end as a Chris/Vin world, so be warned if you prefer a different paring.

          Chris Larabee sat up in his bed and ran a shaky hand over his eyes.  It was the third night in a row that he'd had the same haunting dream.  Well, almost the same dream.  The same kind of dreams he'd been having on and off for weeks before, but now they were coming closer together, the images more intense, more… lustful.

          He shook his head and sighed heavily.  What the hell was wrong with him?  Why was he having _those_ kinds of dreams about Vin?

          He looked down at his sheet and saw the wet stain of his semen.  Groaning, he fell back against his pillow, one hand coming up to press against his side, which was still healing and throbbed painfully from the unexpected movement.

          Maybe he was running a fever, in which case they might just be fever dreams, but that still didn't explain the content – especially the content of these last three nights.  First, two nights ago, he'd dreamed that Buck had discovered Vin wanted Chris as more than just a friend, and decided to court the tracker himself when he also heard that Vin thought Chris was forever out of reach.

Then, last night, it had been Ezra in his dream, giving the tracker aid and comfort after Tanner had gotten drunk.

And _why_ had Vin been drunk?  Because he wanted Chris, and knew he could never have him.

Then tonight it was Josiah, listening to Vin confess his feelings for the unobtainable Chris Larabee, and filling the hole in the tracker's heart.

          And, in Chris's dream, while Buck had just jerked off while _thinking_ about what making love to Vin _might_ feel like, Ezra had gone so far as to suck Vin's cock into his mouth and–

Larabee tried to stop thinking about it, his own cock starting to harden again, teased by the haunting images.

But he just couldn't stop himself, he just couldn't.  The expression on Vin's face as Ezra's head had bobbed over him… and then the look when Josiah drove into the tracker's—

"Ahhh!" Larabee growled loudly, covering his face with both of his hands and scrubbing hard.  What the hell was wrong with him?  It had to be a fever – a _high_ fever – making him see these things, want these things.

Chris knew he loved Vin, had ever since he saw the younger man step out of that store, apron exchanged for a rifle, ready to take on a whole drunken trail crew to save a stranger's life.  But he'd never lusted after the man, never wanted to lie with him – with any man – until two months ago.  That was when it had all started.

Eight weeks ago he'd watched Vin almost toss their friendship aside for a married woman.  But, in the end, the tracker's loyalty drew him back, and both Tanner and Charlotte realized that they were running from the truth.  Hers that she still loved her husband, and Vin . . . well, Chris wasn't sure what Tanner had been running from, but he hoped it was that he'd fallen for Chris and couldn't stand the thought of leaving him behind to make a life with Charlotte, or any other woman.

But Chris knew that was probably nothing more than wishful thinking on his part.

When they left the settlers, riding back to Four Corners, Chris had been forced to face the stunning revelations concerning his true feelings for Vin.  And they had scared the piss out of him, which was why he'd gone on the rampage a few weeks later when the anniversary of Sarah's and Adam's deaths had rolled around.  And why, when Ella had showed up, offering him her ranch and the pleasures of her bed, he'd jumped at both invitations.

He'd really hoped being with Ella might drive his unnatural cravings away, but it hadn't.  And then Vin told him about Ella's lies and he'd turned his back on the truth and his friend, desperate to erase the feelings haunting him.  But he'd discovered her dark secret anyway – her obsession – and what it had driven her to do.  _She_ had ordered Sarah and Adam killed.  She'd loved him so much she'd destroyed his family in order to have him.

He felt the anger well up in him again, but there was nothing he could do, not yet anyway.  Ella had disappeared.

Vin had known all along that there was something wrong with Ella, but Chris had refused to listen to the tracker.  Why?

Because he blamed Vin for the feelings he couldn't seem to escape, even when he was lying in Ella's willing arms.  But those feelings weren't Vin's fault.  Tanner had proved himself to be the steadfast friend Chris had always known he was, and they had both forgiven each other for their transgressions with Charlotte and Ella.  He could clearly remember the feel of the tracker's hand on his forearm as they shook hands, the sparkle in the vivid blue eyes… a couple of days after that the dreams had started.

And they gave no indication of ever stopping.  In fact, they were only getting more and more… intimate.  He couldn't imagine what might come next – Vin with Nathan?  With JD?  Buck doing what Josiah had, the preacher what Ezra did?

Why didn't he just dream about himself and Vin together?  That was what he wanted, wasn't it?

The idea both appealed to and horrified him.

He sighed heavily.  He didn't know what the hell he wanted.

No, that wasn't true.  He knew.  He wanted Vin.  He wanted to do all the things he'd seen the others doing to the tracker in his dreams.  But how the hell did he tell Vin that?

He couldn't.  The tracker would probably gut him where he stood.  And he should, too.  It was… unnatural… wrong… it was…  Oh, damn it, it was what he wanted, what he needed if he wasn't going to go crazy with the longing, the persistent desire.

In his dreams, he could see the pain in Vin's eyes, he could feel the hurt the tracker felt because he thought Chris would never return his feelings and now, here he was, feeling those very same feelings, but it was Vin he was afraid would never return them.

He moaned again, trying to decide what he should do, but found no answers.  So, turning onto his uninjured side, he closed his eyes, wondering what he would dream next as he dropped off into troubled sleep.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

**The following morning**

 

          In the saloon, Chris slid stiffly into a chair at the table.  Nathan looked up from his breakfast, watching the gunslinger with a trained eye.

          "Y' come on over to the clinic when yo'r done and let me take a look at that side," he told Larabee.

Chris shot the healer a dark scowl, but Nathan ignored it, adding, "Y' heard me."

          Buck chuckled softly.  "Y' better do what he tells ya, stud," he warned Larabee.  "He ain't had much t' do lately, he'll hunt y' down."

          Chris sighed, his gaze finding Vin's across the table.  The tracker's blue eyes were filled with concern, which warmed him – in places both good and bad.  He jerked his gaze away from the man.  "All right," he agreed.  His eyes unconsciously darted back to the tracker and he saw Tanner relax a little.  "I feel fine," he added, looking back at the healer.  "Just a little stiff is all."

          The conversation shifted to other topics, the peacekeepers enjoying the quiet morning, and each others' company, while they ate.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          After letting Nathan take a look at his healing wound, and asking the healer if he was running a fever – he wasn't – Chris headed back out to the boardwalk, taking a seat in his usual chair, one of two waiting empty outside the saloon.  From there he could watch the street and the comings and goings of the local townsfolk.  The sun was warm, and everything was quiet.  He dozed.

          And, when he woke, Vin was sitting in the chair beside him, watching the activity and his back, Chris knew.

          "Ya ain't got anything better to do?" Chris grumbled at the tracker.

          "Nope," Tanner replied with just the hint of a grin.

          Chris grunted and shook his head.

          "What'd Nathan say?"

          "That I'm almost healed up; should be good as new in a few more days – if I stay out of trouble."

          Tanner nodded, looking a little more relieved than Larabee guessed the tracker wanted to.

          "I've been tryin' t' find her while y' healed up," the tracker said softly, shaking his head in frustration.  "Nothin'."

          Chris sighed.  "She's a damned wraith.  Just disappeared back into whatever hellhole she crawled out of."

          Vin nodded his agreement.  "I'll keep lookin'."

          "No," Chris told him sternly, then added in a softer tone, "You've done enough."

          "She ain't goin' t' let y' go that easy, Cowboy."

          Chris glanced over, meeting the tracker's worried eyes.  "I know, but I don't want her gettin' her claws into you – any of you.  It's me she wants.  She'll come back for me when she's ready, and I'll be ready, too."  Vin looked like he wanted to argue with him, but Chris glanced away.

"We'll all jus' have t' stay ready fer her," was Tanner's quiet but determined reply.

          The familiar, comfortable quiet that fell between them was shattered by gunfire a few minutes later.

          Chris and Vin both bolted to their feet, gazes sweeping the street.

          "Bank!" Buck called from the sheriff's office.

          "'M goin' topside," Vin said, turning and heading into the saloon.  Moments later he was on the rooftops, his Mare's Leg barking death.

          Chris sprinted across the street, moving in on the bank.  He saw Buck, JD and Josiah doing the same, and behind him he could hear Ezra following him.  Nathan was at the livery, trying to turn the fleeing outlaws who were bearing down on him, firing.

Josiah joined the healer a few moments later, their joint firepower causing the bandits to jerk their horses around.  They started back up the street, shooting indiscriminatingly.  Chris took careful aim and fired, one of the men falling from his saddle.

Buck got another of the gang, and from above them Vin knocked two more off their horses.

The last four bandits scattered in different directions, the peacekeepers splitting up to follow them.

From the space between buildings, Chris heard Buck's frantic call to JD and the answer of Vin's Mare's Leg a moment later.  He knew the tracker had saved the young sheriff's life.  A moment later a blur augured one of the outlaws plowing into his own injured side and slamming him hard against the wooden wall of the hotel.  The air rushed from his lungs as pain exploded in his chest in a fiery ball that stripped away his air and made his knees weak.

He couldn't breathe.  He couldn't see past the white and yellow flashes of light that exploded in front of his eyes.  He heard a man chuckle and knew, with utter certainty, that he was about to die.  He still tried frantically to get his legs to work, but they refused and he continued to sag against the wall.

He heard the _click_ of the bandit's gun hammer being pulled back.  And then, suddenly, he could sense there was someone else standing in front of him, protecting him.  A loud blast filled his ears and aching head.  He groaned and flinched, expecting to feel the burn of a bullet invading his body.  His knees started to give away.

Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him on his feet.  He gulped for the air that finally filled his aching lungs, chasing away the spots that had blinded him.  He turned his aching head to see who had saved his life.

"Vin," he wheezed.

"Easy, Cowboy," the tracker said, his grip tightening.  "Come on, let's get y' over t' Nathan's."

"I'm all right," Larabee argued, but as soon as he tried to take a step his knees buckled and he started to fall.  Tanner's tight grip was the only thing that kept him from hitting the ground hard and, as it was, he still pulled them both down onto their knees in the dust.

"Chris?" Vin called, worry clear in his voice.

"Sorry," he said, wondering why everything seemed to be turning black.

"Hang on, Chris," Vin told him.

"Vin," he replied, confused.  It sounded like the tracker was suddenly standing far away, but he could swear he could still feel one of the man's hands on his arm, the other wrapped around his waist.  And then the blackness overwhelmed him and he pitched into the void.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          The first thing Chris felt as he slowly awakened was the throbbing pain in his head, followed closely by the burning ache in his side.  He moaned softly, protesting both.

A careful hand lifted his head and he felt the rim of a tin cup being pressed to his lips.  He opened his mouth, grateful for the cool water.

He cracked his eyes open as his head was returned to the pillow.  Vin.

"Hey, Cowboy," the tracker greeted, staring worriedly at Larabee.

"Hey yourself," Chris replied, glancing around.  He was in Nathan's clinic.

The healer appeared over Tanner's shoulder, peering down at him.  "You just lay still," he instructed Larabee.  "Y' took a good hit to that wound, and banged yo'r head."

Chris nodded, his eyes closing again.  He had no intention of moving, not an inch, not if he could help it.

"I'm goin' t' go see Ming," he heard Nathan say to Vin.  "You stay here with 'im 'til I get back?"

"Yeah," the tracker replied.

"Make sure he stays in bed.  Y' can give him something to drink, or eat if he's hungry, just make sure he stays put."

"All right," Vin replied.

And then the healer was gone.

Chris listened as Vin walked across the clinic and refilled the tin cup.  He cracked his eyes open again, watching the tracker come back and take a seat next to the bed.

"Y' want some more water?" he asked him.

"Not yet, thanks," Chris replied.  "How the hell did you get off that roof that fast?  I heard Buck yell…"

Vin shrugged.  "Took the shot 'n jumped down from the overhang."

"Jumped?" Chris echoed, eyes rounding slightly.

Tanner shrugged again.  "Fastest way t' git down."

Chris closed his eyes and groaned softly.  Of course it was.

"Y' all right?" Vin asked him, immediately at his side, hand touching Larabee's shoulder lightly.

"Yeah," Chris said, eyes opening again to capture the worried blue ones above him.  "Y' ever do that again, I'll shoot y' myself."

Tanner's eyes rounded slightly and he scowled down at the injured man.  "Hell, Larabee, you'd be dead, y' damned stubborn jackass."

"Look who's talking."

Vin huffed and sat back down on the chair.  He folded his arms over his chest.  "Why don't y' go back t' sleep so I won't have t' listen t' yer jawin'."

Chris scowled, but the spark in his eyes made it clear he wasn't mad.  "Nathan got any coffee?" he asked the tracker.

"No," Vin replied.  "I'll go fetch y' some from Inez, if y' give me yer word y'll stay right there in that bed."

Chris thought for a moment, then nodded.  "All right."

Vin studied Larabee for a long moment, obviously trying to decide if he believed that promise or not.

"I'm not going anywhere," Chris growled at him.

Vin nodded once and headed for the door.

The blond sagged back against his pillow and sighed heavily.  Tanner had done it again – appeared out of nowhere to save his life.  That was going to play into his dreams in interesting ways, of that he was sure.

Before he knew it, Tanner was back, carrying a tray with a pot of coffee and something else that smelled good.  The tracker filled a cup and carried it over to him.

Chris started to sit up, but Vin reached out and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.  The tracker set the cup down and then helped Chris to sit up, repositioning his pillows so he could lean back against them.  Then he handed him the coffee.

"Inez sent along some supper fer ya," he said.

"What about you?"

The tracker shrugged.  "Said there's 'nough fer two."

"All right," Chris said.  "Grab a fork and bring it over.  I'm hungry."

Vin grinned and walked over to carry the tray over to the bed.  Two plates were on it, covered with towels.  Tanner pulled those off and handed Chris one of the plates.  The food smelled delicious and the two men dug into the burritos with gusto.

Chris's head was already feeling better even if his side still ached, and he _was_ hungry.  He finished his meal a little before Vin, who was taking his time, savoring the combination of spicy meat, beans and rice.

Larabee grinned as he watched the tracker.

"What?" Vin asked him around a mouthful.

"Nothing," he replied.  "It's just nice to see you really enjoy Inez's cooking."

"She does a damned fine job, that's fer sure."

Chris nodded, his gaze wandering over Tanner's body.  He abruptly looked away, silently cursing himself.

"Somethin' wrong?" Tanner asked him.

"No," Chris snapped, too quickly.

"Ah, hell, Cowboy, y' know how I git when 'm laid up… y' want t' be alone, I'll go on over t' the saloon."

Chris looked back at the tracker, saying, "It's not that…  Sorry.  I guess I'm just getting a little frustrated."

Vin nodded.  "Tell y' what, if Nate says it's okay, I'll take y' back out t' yer shack 'n' stay fer a couple 'a days – give y' some time away from town and keep Nate happy, too."

Larabee thought for a moment and, knowing he was playing with fire, said, "I'd like that – _if_ you don't have other plans."

"Hell, y' know me, ain't got nothin' worth makin' plans fer."

Chris grinned and turned his attention back to his coffee.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

**The following morning**

 

          Vin entered the clinic just after Chris had finished dressing.  "Y' ready t' go?" he asked the gunslinger.

          Larabee nodded.  His headache was almost gone, and his side felt considerably better than it had the day before, so Nathan had given him his blessing, and instructions to rest, eat, and avoid any bullets, bandits or wild bulls that might come his way.  Chris had readily agreed, longing for the quiet of his cabin.

          Nathan repeated the same instructions to Vin, making the tracker promise to enforce each and every one of them.  Tanner agreed.

          "Come on," Chris said to Vin, stalking past the healer to reach the door.

          The tracker flashed Nathan an amused grin and followed Larabee outside.  Downstairs their horses waited, ready to go, thanks to Tanner's work.  A sack of supplies hung from each saddle horn.

          Neither man said a word until they were well out of town, both of them comfortable with the long silence and the companionship.  But then Chris looked over at Vin and asked, "You sure you want to be cooped up with me for a few days?"

          Tanner's gaze continued to sweep the landscape as he replied, "Hell, y' ain't _that_ bad."

          Larabee chuckled.  "Glad to hear you say that."

          They continued on in silence again until they topped the small rise and could see Chris's small cabin not far away.  Buck had been out to feed Larabee's stock, and keep an eye on the place, but the horses in the corral still lifted their heads when they saw the two men approaching.  A pretty buckskin mare nickered a greeting as they passed.

          "She sure is easy on the eyes," Vin commented.

          Chris nodded.  "Has a disposition to match."

          "Mmm," Vin replied.  "Y' decide t' breed her, might be interested in a colt."

          "I'll keep that in mind," Larabee replied with a small smile.  He had definite plans to breed the buckskin, but he hadn't found the right stud yet, although he had a prospect in mind.

          They dismounted and Vin sent Chris into the cabin with the supplies while he unsaddled their horses, brushed both down, then turned them loose in the corral with the others.

In the cabin, the gunslinger watched Tanner from his window, enjoying the loose way the tracker moved, almost like a wild thing himself.  Chris sighed heavily and turned away, not wanting to get caught staring.  A few minutes later Vin stepped inside.

          "Fed the horses," he said.

          "Thanks."

          "Y' want me t' fix somethin' fer supper?" the tracker asked him.

          "No, I'll do it," Chris told him.

          "Nate said yer supposed t' be restin'," Vin reminded him.  "Y' go rest 'n' I'll fix up somethin'."

          Larabee sighed heavily, but he was tired so he nodded his agreement and walked over to the small table and sat down, leaning his elbows on the wood and watching as Vin set about fixing them a meal.  The man looked so comfortable, so sure of himself, it was almost disconcerting given the desires that had been haunting the gunslinger.  But he couldn't _not_ watch this time.  And again he reveled in the silence they could share so comfortably.  It was as if they could speak more deeply, more profoundly without words than with them.  But that didn't help him find a way to broach the subject that had been haunting his dreams.  There were no words for what he wanted to ask, no way to describe what he wanted from the tracker.

A chill passed down his back as a revelation made itself known.  What he wanted with Vin was what he'd had with Sarah, different, but the same in its own way, and that frightened the gunslinger.  He'd never felt the things he'd felt about Sarah for anyone before, or after – until now.  And what he felt for Vin and what he wanted with him just didn't have words for him to express it.

 _A word unsaid_ … that had been the quote Josiah had used in Chris's dream.  And it was true.  But then he'd never really needed words with Vin.  The tracker seemed able to read his gestures, his moods, hell, even his thoughts at times.  Maybe this would be no different.  But could he just sit back and wait, hoping Vin figured it out?  He wasn't sure.  But if he pushed, tried to tell him, tried to explain the dreams, the feelings that roiled through his heart and groin, Vin might reject him.  He might even hate him.

          And that would be like losing someone he loved all over again; losing someone he wanted to make a life with a second time.

          He sighed heavily.

          "Y' all right?" Vin immediately asked him, looking worried.

          "Yeah," Chris replied tiredly, rubbing at his temples.

          "Supper's ready," the tracker announced, setting a plate down in front of Larabee, but the blond's appetite was gone.  Still, his stomach growled and he took the fork Vin handed him and dug into the meal, knowing he had to eat in order to keep healing.

          The conversation was sparse while they ate, and when they were done, Vin cleaned up, then went out to check on the horses again.  When he came back, he carried his bedroll in and unrolled it near the hearth.

Meanwhile, Chris went into the small bedroom he had added off of the main cabin, undressed and climbed into his bed, listening to Vin moving around in the other room.

          He had just pulled the covers up and was reaching to extinguish his lamp when Tanner stepped into the doorway and said, "Nathan said I should take a look at that wound, make sure y' still ain't got no infection."

          Chris grunted and nodded, moving carefully to lie down on his back.

          The tracker crossed the space and knelt at the bedside, pulling the blankets back to get a look at Chris's side.  The gunslinger was only wearing the bottom portion of long underwear so it was easy for the tracker to get at the wound.

          The blond rolled his head to the side, not wanting to watch Vin when he was so close.

          "Looks good t' me," Tanner announced a few minutes later.  "Hurtin' y' much?"

          "Not too much," Chris replied.

          Vin stood.  "Y' need anythin'?"

          Chris shook his head.

          "All right… get some sleep, Cowboy."  And then the lamp was out and Tanner was gone.  Chris saw the light go out in the cabin, too, and then heard the man settling down in front of the banked fire.  He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, hoping the dreams didn't come to haunt him tonight.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Chris came awake with a startled gasp.  He sat up, one hand immediately reaching for his side, pressing protectively over the healing wound even as he reached for his Colt with the other.  And before he could decide what had drawn him from sleep, Vin was beside him, Mare's Leg in his hands, a concerned expression visible on his face in the pale moonlight falling though the half-open curtains.

          "Chris?" he asked softly, his gaze sliding quickly to the windows.

          "Sorry," the blond said sheepishly, deciding from the ache in his groin that it must have been another dream that had woke him.  "It was a dream… just a bad dream."

          "Better take a look," the tracker replied, "jus' in case."  And before Chris could call him back, he was gone.

          Larabee slipped his Colt back into its holster and lay back down, his hand reaching automatically for his half-hard cock, cupping himself and willing the embarrassing reaction to go away.  A few minutes later, Vin returned.

          "Didn't see anythin'."

          "Like I said, it was just a dream."

          From the doorway the tracker asked, "Y' want t' tell me 'bout it?  C'n take the sting out, if y' share it."

          Chris couldn't help himself.  He snorted and choked back a laugh.  Share that?  "No," he replied, "it's… it's not important."

          "Must be 'portant 'nough if it's shakin' y' out 'a yer sleep.  It 'bout the Gaines woman?"

          "No," Chris replied truthfully.  "It's about me….  I'm just trying to make peace with my feelings."

          "Mm," Vin replied.  "Dreams like that c'n shake a man purty deep."

          "So I'm finding out."

          There was a long pause and then Tanner asked, "Them feelin's got anythin' t' do with me?"

          "Why do you ask?" Chris questioned immediately, his heart beginning to race.  Had the tracker already discovered his secret?

          Vin stepped into the small room and leaned against the wall.  "Seen y' lookin' m' way a few times… thought maybe…"  He trailed off.

          "What?" Chris asked him, his voice a strangled whisper.

          "Weren't sure…  Thought maybe I done somethin' that riled ya."

          "No," Chris said softly, tenderly.  "I'm not mad at you, Vin.  Hell, if I'm mad at anyone, it's myself."

          The tracker remained silent, waiting to see if Chris planned to continue.

The gunslinger sighed heavily and struggled to sit back up.  Tanner quickly stepped up and helped him.

          "Thanks," Larabee said.

          "Don't want y' gettin' yer back up, but, ah, hell, there's been a couple 'a times the last few days, I saw y' lookin' at me – thought y' was lookin' at some gal."

          Chris snorted softly and shook his head.  "Nobody would ever mistake you for a gal, Tanner."

          The tracker grinned.  "Reckon not – too woolly."

          "But you're closer to the truth than you know," Chris added in a rush.

          "Don't follow ya," the tracker replied, looking confused.

          "I've been trying to figure it out myself, but I haven't had much luck," Chris admitted.  "Damn, this isn't easy to say," he muttered in complaint.  Vin didn't reply, giving him the time he needed to find the best words he could to explain his feelings.  "I can't," he said at last.  "I don't know how to say it."  He heard Vin sigh softly, almost sadly.  "I'm sorry."

          "Y' think 'bout it," Vin told him, then slipped out of the room, leaving Chris to his dreams.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          The next few days passed quickly, both men enjoying the time away from town.  But a tension remained between them, and Chris knew that before they returned to Four Corners he had to find a way to tell Vin how he was feeling, and what he wanted.

          That morning he sat down at the table, saying, "Thought I'd ride out and take a look at a new herd of mustangs.  See if I can't find a friend for that pretty little buckskin.  You want to come?"

          Vin nodded.

          They ate, then went out and saddled their horses and headed out.  The ride took a couple of hours but the spot they stopped at was well worth it.  At the top of some low hills they could look out over the desert and, in the distance, they spotted a small band of wild horses.  Around them were some scattered trees and a small pond where runoff had created a natural dam, rainwater getting caught behind it.  Grasses grew near the pond, along with a few scattered wild flowers.

          They sat on the ground in the shade, gazing out at the herd, watching them moving closer and closer.  In an hour or so the mustangs were close enough for them to get a good look at the stallion and the young yearling colts that hadn't been chased off yet.  One of the yearlings was a handsome, leggy male, copper-colored with white stockings and blaze.  His mane and tail were black.

          "He looks good," Vin said, nodding at the young stallion.

          Chris nodded.  He'd been thinking the same thing.  "Think we can catch him?"

          Vin grinned.  "Let's find out."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          The chase was intense but short, the yearling ending up at the end of a pair of ropes.  They led him back to Larabee's cabin, reaching home as the sky shifted from blue to a rich shade of violet streaked with orange.

          After they moved the young mare and the yearling into a smaller corral, they headed to the small porch to watch the sunset.

          "He's interested," Vin said, watching as the stud arched his neck and danced around the buckskin.

          "So am I," Chris said softly.  The tracker looked at him, his expression questioning.  "I still haven't found the right words," he added.

          "Then tell me without 'em."

          Chris shifted closer, his eyes meeting Vin's, holding the man's gaze captive.  He moved closer still and saw the tracker shiver.  Before Chris knew how, they were kissing, their mouths open, their tongues thrusting.  His hand sought Vin out, closing over the tracker's hardness, hidden under his pants.

          Tanner moaned, murmuring words Chris couldn't understand and he wondered if they were Kiowa, or maybe Comanche.  He thought he understood the meaning, though.  He squeezed the tracker's cock through the soft material and felt him throb in reply.

          Chris pulled back slightly, breathing softly, "Those dreams… I want us together, like this… but I don't know what you want."

          Vin moaned lowly and guided Chris into the cabin.  They stopped at the tracker's bedroll.  By some unspoken understanding, they both began to undress.

          Chris looked down at Vin's exposed cock, already so stiff that his foreskin had slipped behind the flared head of its own accord.  Naked, he stepped up to the tracker, his own hard, aching cock pressing against Tanner's belly as their mouths met again.

          This time it was Vin who pulled back, asking in a pant, "In these dreams 'a yers, what all d' y' see?"

          "This," Chris said, dropping to the bedroll and rubbing his face against the tracker's hard member, feeling the heat radiating from it like a fire that might just set his soul on fire.  He fell onto it, mouth open and it slid halfway down his throat before he had to stop, afraid he might choke.  The rich scent of the tracker made his own prick jump spasmically.

          He turned his head to the side and licked along the man's shaft.  Vin's legs began to quake and his shoulders rounded as his head dropped down to hang limply.

          Chris sucked the man's head in, running his tongue over the surface, the tip dipping into the leaking slit.  Vin's response was to toss his head back as he sucked in a sharp breath.  He grabbed the tracker's ass in both hands then, squeezing before he worked his fingers into the tight crack, targeting the waiting bud hidden there.  As he fingers found it, pressed against it, Vin gasped and his cock throbbed and jumped in the gunslinger's mouth.

          "Y' see anythin' more?" Vin hissed softly, his hips beginning to pump.

          Chris released the man and nodded to the bedroll.  "Turn around and I'll show you," he said.

          Vin dropped down onto the bedroll, his ass presented to Larabee.

Chris pulled the man's cheeks apart.  The hole he found was a small pouting pucker.  The tracker's body shook when he reached in and lightly touched it.

          Chris sucked his index finger into his mouth, getting the digit good and wet.  Then he used it to trace the puckered rim.  Vin put up no resistance when he pushed into him, slowly moving deeper, but he did gasp with pleasure.

          With his left hand flat against the tracker's ass, holding him open, Chris used two fingers on his right hand to explore the passage, stretching the robust muscle.

          "I want to lie with you," Chris said softly, then kissed the base of the tracker's spine.

          "Want y' too," Vin replied breathlessly.

          "Stay here," Chris ordered, moving quickly to the shelf near the stove where he kept the smooth, white grease he cooked with.  He scooped out some with his fingers and quickly returned to the waiting tracker.  He rubbed some of the grease onto his cock.  What was left he rubbed over the winking pucker, rubbing some of it into the passage.  He stared at his fingers, slipping in and out of Vin's body, unable to believe this could be real, but then shook his head and repositioned himself behind the man.  If this was another dream, he was going to make the best of it before he woke up.

          He slid one hand around Tanner, holding him, while he used the other to guide his cock to that pulsing entrance.  He pressed his head against the hole, and Vin shoved back.  The pucker unfolded around his cock at first, then Chris felt the first resistance.

Vin took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh while he pushed back harder, and Chris was suddenly inside him.

          They both groaned as Larabee pushed in farther, not stopping until he was buried all the way, his hips pressed against the firm curve of Vin's ass.  Then he went still, holding the tracker, enjoying the warmth and tightness surrounding his cock.  He kissed the back of Vin's neck and ran his lips over the tracker's long hair.

          Tanner slowly relaxed and finally began to gently rock his hips back.  "Y' feel s' good," he moaned.

          Chris moved with him, finding the rhythm they created together.  His cock tingled with the rush of sensations that assailed him.  He held onto Vin, kissing the back of the man's neck and shoulders, making Tanner's ass grip his cock tighter.

          Chris's hips began to move faster, shoving in harder, slamming deeper.  He could feel Vin's cock bobbing against his stomach and grabbed hold of it, squeezing tight.  Precome leaked over his fingers as Vin fucked his hand in time to the thrusts Chris was giving the tracker's ass.

          Muscles closed around the gunslinger's cock so tightly Chris could hardly move as, with a guttural moan, Vin came.  With two more thrusts Larabee began to come as well.  He clenched his teeth and filled the tracker's ass with an orgasm that seemed to last for hours.

          When he withdrew, his seed oozed out after him, running down Vin's balls and falling onto the blanket beneath them.  But they still collapsed onto the bedroll.

          Tanner pressed up against him, kissing him.  They caressed each other, stroking each other's cocks, which were still a little hard.  And, pretty quickly, they were both full and wanting again.

          They rolled over, Chris on top of the tracker.  Vin's hands stroked his back and ass.

          The intimacy was almost as pleasurable as the sex.  They touched and petted, kissed and ground their cocks against each other's bellies.  They panted, sweat dripping from their faces.

Their hands fumbled over each other, each of them finding the other's cock, stroking, pulling, squeezing.  And then they were coming again, coating each other's chests and stomachs with torrents of sticky white cream.

Finally, spent and content, they fell asleep on top of the bedroll, the warm air and the heat from their bodies enough to keep them from getting cold.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          It was daylight when they woke, still holding each other.

          "Mmm," Vin said, stretching with languid grace.  He looked like a cat who had been sleeping in the sun.

          Chris groaned softly, but rolled over slightly and kissed him, his tongue sliding inside the tracker's mouth while his hands went to work on the man's body.

The kiss deepened.

          Vin pressed against him, his hardening cock beginning to poke against the gunslinger's belly.  Chris rose up slightly, letting Vin feel his own hardness against his thigh.  Tanner moaned, his butt grinding back against the blanket.

          Chris rolled to the side, then lifted the tracker and turned him over.  His fingers brushed against Tanner's ass and the tracker pushed his hips up in reply.

          Chris rolled over the smaller man, careful not to crush him.  His mouth moved to the back of Vin's neck and he kissed and nipped the skin he found there.  The tracker shivered underneath him.

          His fingers moved into the crack, playing with Tanner's hole.  He was still relaxed and sensitive and Chris caressed the swollen bud, probing tenderly.

          "I want y' inside me again," Vin breathed.

          "Are you sure?"

          "Makes me feel so damned good," he panted in reply.

          Chris left the man lying on his belly and went to get more of the grease.  He massaged some of the thick material onto the tight orifice and Vin spread his legs wide.

          Chris gasped at the wanton invitation and quickly rubbed more of the slick material over his now-hard cock.  He slid between the tracker's legs and positioned his head against the pucker.  He pressed, stretching the already loosened hole.  His tongue tickled the skin between Vin's shoulder blades as he pushed all the way in, his guts aching with deep satisfaction.

          "Is this all right?" he asked the tracker.

          Vin reassured him with a firm backward thrust of his hips.

          As Chris's confidence that he wasn't hurting Vin grew, he began to thrust his member into the tight passage, slowly at first and then with feverish abandon.

          Vin urged him on, begging him to go harder, faster.

          Chris gripped the man's bucking hips to steady himself, his balls slapping noisily against the tracker's sweat-dampened ass.

          "This how you want it?" he growled, squashing himself farther into the hot passage.

          "Yes," Vin moaned, his ass sucking at the invading cock.

          The most incredible sensations traveled through Larabee's bones and he gasped, almost coming on the spot.  Then he felt Vin forcing his hand under his hips.  The tracker grabbed his own cock and began to pull on it.  Moments later, his body tensed and Chris felt the spasms of the orgasm beginning in the tracker's ass.

          Tanner bucked wildly under him, Chris riding it out, grinding his hips in an erratic fashion.  Larabee felt his own cock swell, and then he was shooting his seed into Vin's guts a second time, ramming his cock in as deeply as he could with each hot blast.

          When he could move again, he withdrew slowly, carefully, and dropped down next to Vin, who rolled over and embraced him.  They started kissing again, their softening cocks pressed against each other.

          "Never felt nothin' so good," Vin breathed against Chris's neck.

          Chris hugged him closer.  "I need you," he whispered.

          "'M all yours, Cowboy."

          The relief that washed over Chris left him shaking and breathless.  "You're damn right you are," he replied.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Vin woke with a sharp gasp, his cock still pumping come into his hand.

          It took him a moment to realize where he was:  his wagon.  And what was happening:  another dream.

He moaned softly, shaking his head.  It was all a dream, just another dream.  Chris was still out of reach, but now, at least, three of his friends knew about his feelings for the man.  What that meant, he wasn't sure, but he guessed it could only lead to trouble.

          Still, at least he didn't feel quite so alone any more.

 

[The Chris/Vin arc continues in "Unrequited Too."]

 

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